Architecture – Page 20 – slightly weird

30th September 201826th October 2018

Shroud of Turin and Gran Balon!

Sunday, 30 September, 2018 24C

But first, another culinary note. Yesterday we decided it was time to give our local enoteca (wine shop with cafe) a chance. We pass it all the time but have never gone in. I ordered russian salad (skipping the two pasta choices) and milanese. Krish had penne with ragu and also the milanese. The pranzo (lunch) deal is 12 Euros each.

Monochromatic lunch - Russian salad, Milanese with Cauliflower Gratin — **My monochromatic lunch – Russian salad, Milanese with Cauliflower Gratin**

It’s OK. We may go again. Simple food, friendly service, a no-brainer since it’s across the road. However, again we’re struck with how ordinary and unmemorable the food is, especially when I throw two salads together later in the day for dinner. Would the Italians think my food too complicated, too much going on? It’s also worth mentioning that there were six or seven people sitting on a larger table across from us. They seemed to be ordering everything on the menu and sharing the huge platters. Despite the overflowoing banquet, they swallow it all in record time and leave, empty plates everywhere!

My dinner. Asparagus with Chicken, Two salads - Pesto Potato salad, Beet with goat cheese and arugula — **My dinner. Asparagus with Chicken, Two salads – Pesto Potato salad, Beet with goat cheese and arugula**

I’m not a huge fan of churches unless they are rustic and unique. I don’t typically enjoy opulence or artistic piety. But then the Cattedrale di San Giovanni Battista (Cathedral of St John the Baptist, aka Torino Duomo) was supposed to be open for 3 Euros. Last year the Duomo was covered in scaffolding but this year construction is finished. It’s a beautiful and intricate dome atop an otherwise plain looking rectangle of a church. The looming campanile (bell tower) dates from 1470 and the church was built during 1491–98 . It would be unremarkable if it didn’t contain the chapel of the Holy Shroud, which was added in 1668–94.

**The Campanile on the left, the domes of the Duomo to the right**

**Lighting my usual candle to Mum and Dad (centre fourth row down)**

There’s nothing to make me linger in here – the usual memorial statues and plaques, pews, banks of candles, an organ… but the altar is quite stunning, overlooked by a very large window, where I could see people looking down to where we were, and that’s where I need to head. Walking around, though, I couldn’t find a way in so supposed it was a separate entry – it was.

**But this big window intrigued me, looking down on us. I need to get behind there!**

Before wandering outside, I saw a small crowd of people and hoped I could get in behind the window there but, no, this was the spot for the shroud. It’s displayed only once every 25 years unless the Pope is in town so I wouldn’t get to see it, but there’s an area for it and there was lot of genuflecting and crossing and muttered prayer – and the most candles! – going on in front of that thing. I stayed for a little while to read the prayer, translated in several languages. And then I left.

It seems the entrance to the cathedral museum is around the side so I went in there too. On the way in there are some pretty solid ruins, and I was told there are more inside. In the foyer, a very short and elderly lady with a badly curved spine wanted to talk to me but she couldn’t speak English so I was directed to another behind the counter. There was nothing about a 3 Euro entry but apparently I can come here any time for 3.50 so I decided that I would wait. Today it’s packed.

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26th September 201827th September 2018

The slightly better version of Milan

Wednesday, 26 September, 2018 20-22C (yay!)

So yes, we went back to Milan. I’d promised myself to try again if I had a better plan and a whole lot cooler day. And those criteria were filled.

My plan – start in NoLo (the immigrant area) head down to lunch with Daniele in his proposed lunch spot Mad’son, then on to Brera, down to Navigli and end up in Chinatown – if time I was going back to where Yayamoto was – which I believe is the old town. Plans!

(Now despite still not falling in love -or maybe not even like -with Milan, I did take far too many photos so I’ll try not to go overboard…bear with me.

A much better ride to Porta Susa – thanks to an earlier start (we were in a tearing hurry last time) and then arriving in Milan Central, now a familiar spot. We started walking towards the NoLo district, with my notes not really helping and, not too far along, decided again to separate and get on with our respective days.

I wanted to ride the historic tram number one and found the stop quite easily. It reminded me of riding in Lisbon or Budapest as it sped along. I don’t think I actually made it to the real NoLo. I wasn’t as prepared as I thought and the map didn’t really help. This, paired with the alarming way my phone battery was draining, so winged it.

I was, however, north of Loreto, and the population seemed mixed so perhaps I touched on it. The streets were not poor, though. Quite the opposite. I wandered around and needed a toilet so popped into a tabaccheria-bar. They were wonderful in there, falling over themselves to be helpful and make sure I was happy. Quite a nice experience to sit with a coffee and brioche, studying and marking the map and just generally feeling content

**Streets in what I thought might be the edge of NoLo**

**My very nice snack and break! 3 euros**

**Now, ravioli I can understand, but gnocchi?**

Continue reading “The slightly better version of Milan”

25th September 201827th September 2018

Lunch, window shopping, and to the top of NH Santo Stefano

Tuesday, 25 September, 2018 30C

I’ve been wanting to go to the little cafe I enjoy. It’s called Cianci Piola and is in the prettiest square (in my opinion) in Torino. It feels like you’re in Paris but without the high prices and the attitude!

On the way over, I walked past some remains of the Roman wall.

At Cianci Piola, there’s always a choice of appetiser, first course, second course and dessert. I stayed with an appetiser and a pasta.

A traditional Piemontese appetiser - tomini (a soft cheese) al verde ( a sauce made with parsley and anchovy — **A traditional Piemontese appetiser – tomini (a soft cheese) al verde ( a sauce made with parsley and anchovy (each round maybe 5cm)**

The primo - tajarin with sausage and eggplant — **The primo – a small bowl of tajarin (the local pasta) with sausage and eggplant**

Closer to the Duomo towards Piazza Castello — **Leaving Cianci to go window shopping – the Duomo and the Campanile**

Affordable fashion at OVS. This year it's all about see-through skirts — **Affordable fashion at OVS. This Fall it’s all about see-through skirts**

On the way back I finally climbed to the top of the NH Santo Stefano. I heard that it has the history of Torino on the walls as you climb. The pleasant surprise is that there aren’t stairs but little ledges along a spiraling ramp.

The gallery was made up of several posters, tracing the history of the city and saying where remnants of the past could still be found. I made note of several. What was interesting was that sometimes that old piece of history would be deliberately incorporated into something new – such as an old granite pillar that formed the cornerstone of a newer building. It’s like a treasure map.

**The galleries along each floor of the NH Hotel**

**The ledged ramp all the way up to each level. Very easy to manage**

On the fourth floor there’s a lift to take you up to the very top, where there’s a panoramic view.

To the right the Campanile and the Palazzo Reale, to the left the Porta Palatina — **To the right the Campanile and the Palazzo Reale with its Roman wall, to the left the Porta Palatina**

**Lovely view towards the Market square, with the Alps in the background**

And almost home - a visit to see how Mr Fijodor's whale is coming along — **And almost home – a visit to see how Mr Fijodor’s whale is coming along**

22nd September 201825th September 2018

More lazy hazy days…really lazy…

Saturday, 22 September, 2018 Staying around 30C

The last day of summer. The thermometer doesn’t know about that, though. I feel lazy, like the sun is siphoning off my energy instead of energising me. So I’ll make this a pictorial … for now. Will have to say more about Terra Madre etc.

Krish was craving meat pie and so I made a Cornish pasty - first one in a long while — **Krish was craving meat pie and so I made a Cornish pasty – first one in a long while**

Mr Fijodor's whale art - about a week in — **Mr Fijodor’s whale art – about a week in**

**At the base of the wall, his signature piece**

**Such a quiet day in the Cortile del Maglio. Packed on the weekend**

**A workshop on the periphery of the Cortile del Maglio.**

A lazy lunch on a bright day. One of Krish's masterpieces — **A lazy lunch on a bright day. One of Krish’s masterpieces**

On my list - climbing the stairs of the NH Hotel to see the historic photos — **On my list – climbing the stairs of the NH Hotel to see the historic photos**

It's Terramadre - huge food festival in Turin. Everywhere is packed — **It’s Terramadre – huge food festival in Turin. Everywhere is packed**

**Walking through the Quadrilatero at night**

19th September 201827th September 2018

Milan, why can’t we get along?

Wednesday, 19 September, 2018 32C

We have gone through Milan on the train a few times. Each time we’ve looked out the window and thought, no. However, for this trip we wanted to not be so biased but make a visit or two. So two visits were booked.

This was the first one. It’s hard to know what to say but I will say that it was very hot. We had changed our first train journey to a week later because of the heat but it was barely one degree cooler than the cancelled date – forecasts had been promising a bigger drop. No matter, we went ahead.

It’s only a fast (300kmh) journey to Milan from Turin. When we arrived at the station, my first reaction was wow. It’s an immense and extremely grand and elegant station, definitely the most glamorous I’ve ever seen. Before I’d even left the station I was impressed. It’s large, grand, bustling and impressive in every way. I had no idea what I was going to do but I’d done some research and hoped to cover a couple of areas and eat a little along the way and get a taste of Milan.

**The very grand Milan Centrale station, a bit of it anyway**

We decided to head off towards a modern area. It was called Samsung District – Porta Nuova Smart Community (apparently a prize winning area). The heat was building and I was very tired already. The modern area was wide open with no shade. I soldiered on.

From quite a distance we’d noticed a building covered with trees, as we’ve seen in Turin, so we kept going.

By now I was flagging so left Krish to take photos, while I sat on a park bench near a fountain – no bull heads here! Looks like a little demon.

Also in the park was a wall with darker bricks that formed a picture.

So here’s my confession. I lingered over no photos, I lingered over nothing. I wasn’t impressed enough by anything. By the time I reached this park I already knew I was done! Tired, hot, and in pain. I told Krish that I couldn’t wander and that he should walk by himself at his own pace and I’d use the day in any way I could that would keep me comfortable. We talked about it a bit and then agreed.

I asked him to try to meet me at Yamaoto, a restaurant he’d wanted to eat, a few hours from then. So he sent off on foot to explore and I set off for the closest metro station, no mean feat!

**Quiet street not so far from the centre, on my way to Zara metro**

I’d heard about a gourmet food store, Peck. It sounded wonderful and maybe somewhere I could sit with a cold drink before going to the restaurant. This meant travelling to Duomo metro, luckily on the same (yellow) metro line. When I came out of the station, again I was completely blown away by what it was like. The pictures don’t show it as well as I’d hoped but it’s an enormous open square with the duomo on one side and on the other three sides, shopping. It was overwhelming and not in a good way. Tourists were milling everywhere, the noise and confusion were high. I really just wanted to leave so I set off to find Peck.

**Vain attempt to show the Duomo and the square**

**By the Duomo, porticoes leading to more shopping**

I couldn’t find it and I was still very hot and unhappy. I wandered about trying to follow my map app’s instructions and found a nice little back area where people were miling a bit to get lunch, but again I was too hot to snap a proper photo or investigate. The name of the game was Find Cool Shelter!

Piazza Mercanti (I think)
Continue reading “Milan, why can’t we get along?”